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Silvertown Tunnel

We are developing proposals to build the Silvertown Tunnel, linking the Greenwich Peninsula and Silvertown. The scheme would reduce congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel and improve the reliability and resilience of the wider road network.

Latest news

A six-month public examination of the Silvertown Tunnel scheme began on 11 October 2016. Once the examination is finished, no later than 11 April 2017, the Planning Inspectorate will have three months to make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport.

The Secretary of State would then have three months to decide whether or not to grant the application we filed in April 2016 for powers to build the Silvertown Tunnel.

Benefits of the scheme

The Silvertown Tunnel would connect to the A1020 Silvertown Way/Lower Lea
Crossing on the north side and to the A102 Blackwall Tunnel Approach on
the south side. The tunnel generally follows the alignment of the
Emirates Air Line cable car.

The earliest the Silvertown Tunnel could become operational is in 2022/23.

The new tunnel would:

Reduce the impact of unplanned incidents at the Blackwall Tunnel by providing a nearby alternative route

Cut down on queuing at the Blackwall Tunnel and approach roads

Include user charging at the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels to manage demand and provide a source of revenue to help build and maintain the new tunnel

Provide an opportunity to create new cross-river bus links in east London

Improve road connections to and from Docklands and east London from South London

Improve journey times and make travel, deliveries and servicing more reliable

The tunnel will also create opportunities for new jobs in the local area, help local employers to access new markets and reduce the environmental impact of traffic congestion.

We have produced a short film which explains why the Silvertown Tunnel scheme is necessary.

Watch our latest 'drive through' film, to see how the new tunnel would link to the existing road network.

Timeline

The Silvertown Tunnel was designated a 'Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project' by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2012. That's why we had to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build and operate the scheme.

Our timeline is:

April 2016: We applied to the Secretary of State for Transport for the DCO